Electrical power distribution, or busway, systems are used to distribute electrical power throughout buildings, particularly commercial or industrial type buildings. Generally, a busway includes a number of busway sections which are connected to one another by busway joints. Each busway section includes a housing that encloses a plurality of busbars which may be phase busbars, neutral busbars, or ground busbars depending on the particular application. High-amp busways, generally utilizing larger busbars, are employed for applications requiring current capacity of approximately 600 amperes or higher. For applications requiring less current, typically 100 to 800 amperes, low-amp busways are employed. Due to the lower current capacity requirements, low-amp busbars are generally smaller and do not maintain the same spacing as high-amp busbars.
Machines, lights, tools and other components requiring electricity are provided access to the power conducting busbars at various power tap-off locations disposed along the busway. An opening is typically provided through the housing at each power tap-off location and the conductive material of the busbars is exposed for connection with an appropriate plug connector or bus plug.
A bus plug generally includes an electrical box containing a protective device, such as a circuit breaker, and a disconnect switch. A mechanical connector is provided for mechanically attaching the bus plug to the busway. An electrical connector extends from the bus plug through a window in the busway housing. The connector includes several flat "stab" conductors, or fingers, that make contact with the busbars within the busway. The fingers of the connector must be spaced apart so as to be in registration with the busbars. Due to the differing busbar-to-busbar spacing for typical prior art high-amp and low-amp busways, bus plugs for high-amp systems and for low-amps systems are generally not interchangeable.
Manufacturing and storing different plug connectors for different applications results in increased costs to both manufacturers and purchasers. Accordingly, it would be advantageous if a low-amp busway maintained a busbar-to-busbar spacing compatible with high-amp busways. Additionally, it would be advantageous if a common bus plug connector could be used for highamp and low-amp busways.